Redemption
by ink-splotched
Summary: OC centric. Being in the wrong house is not easy, but there are things that can make it easier... or harder.


Disclaimer: Harry Potter, etc. belongs to JK Rowling, not me.

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**Redemption Chapter 1**

Zedia Malfoy was many things, when she was eleven years old, or she was considered to be many things. However, she may not have been stupid- as her blond hair was taken to imply- or bland, but if there was one thing she was, she was gullible. Gullible and very naïve.

All the while, as she and her brother Draco were growing up, she naively believed every word her parents said, every lie they fed her. She never looked past what they told her, never saw the bigger picture.

To many she seemed spoilt, and truly, perhaps she was. Never had she had to worry about anything, her little bubble of happiness never broken or even tainted by outside matters. Those were for the adults- or even Draco- to deal with, but never her.

It was going to take something big to break Zedia Malfoy out of that mindset, and something big did come, as she entered into the world of magic that was Hogwarts for her first year.

However small she was, Zedia Malfoy would have to be a big girl now. After all, her family wasn't always going to be there for her.

-

Little, blond haired, blue-eyed Zedia Malfoy clambered gracefully- her upbringing would allow nothing less- onto the Hogwarts Express and set off in search of a free compartment. Her brother had already left her, not wanting to be seen with his younger sister, and gone in search of his own friends.

A few moments of searching wielded a compartment occupied only by a solitary red-haired girl. The girl was about Zedia's own age, so she felt less self-conscious about enquiring, "Is this compartment free?"

"Sure." The girl nodded and gestured to the empty seat opposite her. She seemed agitated, so Zedia remained silent, not offering her name or asking for one in return.

The red-head pulled a leather bound book out from under her robes and dug around in her trunk for a moment before coming up with a quill and ink. She opened the book and started to write on a blank page, so Zedia assumed it was a diary.

After a few moments of writing, the girl shut the diary and put it away in her trunk, before turning to Zedia. "Hi, sorry I was so rude earlier; I was just… nervous and worried. My brother and his friend missed the train, you see."

"Oh, I'm sorry," Zedia murmured, unsure of what to say.

She held out her hand politely. "I'm Ginny."

"Zedia." Zedia took the small, freckled hand in her own pale one and shook it lightly.

-

"The Sorting Ceremony is about to start. Please form a line and follow me." Professor MacGonagall had returned to the ante-chamber in which the children were waiting anxiously.

The first years formed a rag-tag single file line and followed Professor MacGonagall into the Great Hall. They all stared in wonder at the many students at the four house tables, all watching them and wondering which house they would be going to, at the amazing sight that the enchanted ceiling presented, at the many candles that floated around them.

Gasps of awe followed the youngsters as they were led to the front, to stand in a dishevelled group before the teachers' table at the head of the hall.

Professor MacGonagall placed a ripped dirty hat before them on a stool. Suddenly, a rip opened in the front of the hat and it began to sing.

The end of the song was signalised by clapping from the older students, and some of the braver first years clapped along too. Not so brave as her peers, Zedia huddled closer to Ginny, clutching her hand nervously. They exchanged a glance.

"When I call your name, you will put on the hat and sit on the stool to be sorted," MacGonagall said unrolling a scroll of parchment. "Andrews, Megan."

Megan Andrews stepped shakily out of the group and stumbled up to the stool. She collapsed onto it and the hat was dropped on her head to obscure her vision. The hat seemed to hesitate, before calling out, "RAVENCLAW!"

Relieved, Megan jumped off the stool and hurried to the table clapping the loudest, the one with the blue banners above it.

Professor MacGonagall continued with the sorting. "Brailey… Corley… Davidson… DeDecker… Euan… Kent… The names flew by, the hat taking varying amounts of time on each child. However, when MacGonagall called out "Malfoy, Zedia!" Zedia thought that the hat hadn't taken nearly long enough on everyone else.

The reaction to her name was instantaneous, as the Slytherin table seemed to hold its breath to see where their little prince's sister would go, and the other houses turned up their noses in an obstinate silence, refusing to even give her chance because of the misery Draco had inflicted in his first year.

Her legs shaking, Zedia detached herself from the huddled first years, namely Ginny, whose arm she had been clutching, and forced herself to walk at a controlled pace up to the stool. She sat gracefully and felt the hat drop, before everything went black.

'Well, hello there.'

She flinched in shock as the hat spoke, and so missed her chance to reply when it continued.

'Another Malfoy? Well, you seem nicer than your brother…'

She felt the hat filter through her thoughts and memories, leaving nothing untouched. It seemed to be having some difficulties deciding where she aught to be.

Suddenly, it spoke again. Now, it seemed to be holding a monologue, rather than speaking to her.

'Well, you'd do well in Ravenclaw in a few years time… The intelligence is there, for sure. And you have many traits of a Hufflepuff, but no, that's not right. Too naïve for Slytherin, and far too honest… Well, it'll have to be…'

"GRYFFINDOR!" the hat screamed into the silence of the hall

There was a moment of shocked silence, before the Gryffindor table seemed to recover. Some started clapping politely, but over all a confused silence reigned, as if they were unsure whether or not to clap and cheer for the new member of their house.

Zedia heaved a sigh as she seated herself at the end of the table, alone and lonely. Why should they clap and cheer? It was not as if they wanted her there. This was not where she belonged. She should be in Slytherin, like the rest of her family.

Slytherin, not Gryffindor. Dirty Gryffindor, where her bubble of happiness would forever become tainted, until it burst and let in the sorrow that the rest of the world lived in.

- Tbc -

AN: My first try at anything like this- which is not to say that this is my first story, in fact, hurry on over to my HallowedInk account for some more interesting stuff.

On another note, I wanted to post this over there, but in the end I decided to post it here instead.

And I'm going to rewrite it eventually.

Please read and review, and the next chapter might be up sometime soon.


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